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Prior research has suggested that corrective fact-checking has inconsistent effects on beliefs about online misinformation claims. This study attempts to explain this inconsistency using three contingent factors--claim-source credibility, fact-checker credibility, and attitude strength--which respectively relate to three key parties in the fact-checking process: the source of a misleading claim, the fact-checker, and the user evaluating the fact-check. I hypothesize the interplay between these factors, which is tested using two online experiments on COVID-19-related misinformation with over 900 participants. Multilevel analysis of pretest-posttest, repeated measures data supports the hypothesized moderating effects and offers additional insights about how these effects vary between earlier versus later phases of misinformation cycles. The paper concludes with a discussion of contributions to research and practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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In times of declining response rates and over-surveying, improving our understanding of why people participate in surveys is more important than ever. Previous research showed that online panel participants have intrinsic (e.g., topic interest, altruism) and extrinsic (e.g., incentives) participation reasons. Our study expands this research by implementing an experiment using two common forms of survey measurement: ranking and rating. The experiment was fielded in a professional respondents' sample from a German online panel (n = 407) and in an address-based sample (mail and online) of German non-professional respondents (n = 1,137). Besides extrinsic and intrinsic motivations, the experiment included various study design features (i.e., mode, length, data security) and the mood during the time of contact as possible reasons for participation. The results confirm previous findings regarding the motivations of online panelists but also show important differences between professional and non-professional respondents. Specifically, the main participation reasons of professionals are topic interest (intrinsic) and incentives (extrinsic), while non-professionals are primarily motivated by intrinsic reasons (topic interest and purpose of study). This notion is also supported by the Latent Class Analyses, which showed that three of the four classes for professional respondents had a high probability of naming incentives as one of their main reasons for survey participation, whereas none of the four non-professional clusters rated incentives highly. The differences between the two samples highlight that professional panel members have different motivation structures than participants in general population surveys. This may undermine generalizability, but it also provides opportunities for targeted recruitment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Contemporary Accounting Research is the property of Canadian Academic Accounting Association and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Experimental and numerical studies were conducted to assess the stability of the breakwater of Fujairah Port on the east coast of the United Arab Emirates against tsunamis. Experiments were conducted on a 1:50 scale and numerical analysis was done with the formulas of tsunami-breakwater interaction. The experimental observations corroborated the numerical results. The breakwater was safe up to 3m of tsunami height, but when the tsunami height increased from 3m to 6m, the percentage damage to the leeside (portside) of the breakwater increased compared to the seaside. The leeside of the breakwater was deformed by tsunami overtopping and seepage — the breakwater cross-section reshaped from trapezoidal to quasi-triangular at 6m tsunami impact, however, the breakwater was not breached. Rubbles of the breakwater were transported due to sliding, rolling, and saltation by overtopping and seepage. For 6m tsunami height, rubbles from the seaside rolled over up with saltation and transported to the leeside. A large number of rubbles were transported landward from the leeside of the breakwater but a few were displaced offshore from the seaside. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Proteus effect is a phenomenon found in over 60 studies where people tend to conform behaviorally to their avatars' identity characteristics, especially in virtual reality. This study extends research on the Proteus effect to consider organization-representing avatars and misogynistic behavioral outcomes. Male participants (N = 141) in a lab experiment embodied a set of pretested avatars which varied in level of association with a university mascot (i.e., color and body type) in a bespoke virtual reality simulation designed to elicit misogynistic behavior. Namely, participants were directed to place a hand on virtual agents' body parts, including the buttocks (i.e., a transgressive misogynistic act). Time delay in complying with directions to touch the agents' buttocks served as an implicit measure of resistance to this misogynistic behavior. Results suggest that within moderately masculine body-size avatar users, those who embodied a university-color-associated avatar exhibited more misogynistic behaviors (i.e., faster buttocks-touching). Unexpectedly, this effect of avatar color was not apparent within the hypermasculine body-size avatars, and within the university-associated color condition, hypermasculine body-type was associated with less misogynistic behavior. These findings suggest that organization-representing avatars may induce behavioral conformity to implicit attitudes associated with the organization, such as misogyny. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the experimental results of six full‐scale one‐way reinforced concrete slabs with variations in reinforcement detailing. Test specimens consisted of two reference concrete slabs reinforced fully with glass fiber reinforced polymer (GFRP) rebars or with steel rebars and four hybrid‐reinforced slabs. The variables included the arrangement of rebars, mechanical reinforcing ratio, and the ratio of steel rebar area to GFRP rebar area. The fabricated specimens were subjected to four‐point loading until failure in the strong floor laboratory. Experimental results indicated that hybrid reinforcement enhances stiffness compared to FRP reinforcement and provides a higher load‐bearing capacity than steel reinforcement. Also, it was observed that FRP bars placed as tensile reinforcement, similar in number and diameter size to steel bars placed as compressive reinforcement in a slab result in the highest ultimate capacity. Moreover, it was observed that while the mechanical reinforcing ratio contributes to the overall behavior of hybrid‐reinforced concrete slabs, the ratio of steel rebar area to GFRP rebar area is not considerably effective. Furthermore, image processing was employed to determine the exact crack widths of specimens after failure. Finally, finite element modeling results showed good agreement with the experimental results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the dominant presence of traditional gender portrayals on television, there is a growing effort to incorporate more diverse gender representations, including in youth television series. The impact of such counter-stereotypical portrayals on preadolescents’ gender attitudes and beliefs remains largely unexplored. This mixed-design experimental study among 75 mother-child dyads (Mage child = 10.69, SD = 1.37) examined the effects of watching an episode of an entertainment television program that positively portrays a transgender character, either alone or with the mother. The findings indicated that watching the episode lowered preadolescents’ gender essentialism, but did not increase acceptability of and willingness to befriend gender-nonconforming peers. Maternal presence did not further impact the findings. Perceived similarity to and liking of the transgender character did not act as moderators, but had a direct impact on preadolescents’ gender attitudes and beliefs. In conclusion, the results suggest that exposure to counter-stereotypes in entertainment television can influence components of preadolescents’ gender attitudes and beliefs. Gender-diverse television characters who are perceived as highly similar and likeable appear to be particularly influential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fertigation technology plays a crucial role in the fertilizer utilization efficiency and sustainable development of modern agriculture. Among them, the piston-type fertilizer injection pump serves as the vital equipment for the uniform fertilizer injection in the large-scale irrigation systems. In this study, the numerical investigation and experimental validation were presented on the internal flow and external performance of the piston-type fertilizer injection pump during reciprocating motion. A three-dimensional numerical simulation model for the transient flow in the piston fertilizer injection pump was established based on the dynamic mesh and the RNG k-ε turbulence model. The gap between the dynamic mesh boundary and the static boundary was treated by thegap model with zero mass flux into the gap grid. The motion of the valve core in the flow field was analyzed by the six degrees of freedom (6DOF) solver. The external properties of the piston injection pump under different conditions were investigated, and the internal flow field characteristics of the pump under nominal condition were analyzed. The reliability of the numerical simulation model was verified by comparing the predicted flow rate with the experimental and theoretical data. It was found that the maximum relative error between the predicted and the experimental time-averaged flow rates was 3.58% for different strokes. The instantaneous flow rates were obtained from the numerical simulations and theoretical calculations. A high degree of consistency was demonstrated in both magnitude and trend, with the maximum relative error of 3.17%. The high velocity zone was concentrated in the flow channel of the outlet check valve, with the maximum velocity of 7.74 m/s, during the discharge phase of the pump. While a significantly increased pressure observed in the pump chamber with the maximum relative static pressure of 69.1 kPa. In the suction stage of the pump, the high flow velocity area was mainly concentrated in the inlet check valve channel. The maximum flow velocity of 8.05 m/s was found to increase the vacuum degree within the pump, resulting in the minimum relative static pressure of -79.8 kPa. In contrast to the discharge stage, the liquid in the suction process entered the pump cavity through the inlet valve, and then impinged on the wall of the pump chamber, indicating the complex mixing and turbulent structure within the pump cavity. There was a lag behavior at the initial stages of both the discharge and suction during the reciprocating motion of the piston. The formation of backflow was attributed to the delayed closure of the inlet and outlet valve core. A sudden change in the instantaneous flow rate of the fertilizer injection pump was also observed. The time of the sudden change was consistent with the time of valve core closure. The amplitude of the flow rate variations in the inlet and outlet valves at the sudden change point were equivalent. The timeaveraged flow rate of the fertigation piston pump showed a positive linear correlation with the ratio of piston stroke (k) and reciprocating frequency (f). The volume coefficient of the fertilizer injection pump decreased with the decrease of the piston stroke, but there was no significant change with the reciprocating frequency of the piston. Meanwhile, the measured volume coefficient of the variable frequency regulation differed by only 2.65% from the rated operating condition at the low flow rate (k=20% and f=10 Hz). In contrast, the volume coefficient of the variable stroke regulation differed by as much as 13.94%. Therefore, the frequency modulation control can be expected to more accurately regulate the flow rate of the piston injection pump. It is an optimal strategy for regulating the fertilizer injection in fertigation systems. The findings can provide a strong reference to optimize the fertigation piston injection pump. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Woody perovskite-type catalysts are the sorts of porous catalysts with biomass morphology, in order to achieve the simultaneous purification of PM, NOx, CO, and HC. Among them, the ratio of adsorbed oxygen (Oads)/lattice oxygen (Olatt) of perovskite-type catalysts can be improved to avoid the collapse and aggregation of perovskite-type catalysts. The reason was attributed to the presence of a large number of high-energy electrons, active particles, and active heavy particles in non-thermal plasma (NTP). In addition, the NTP can outstandingly improve the specific surface area and porosity of catalysts. The NTP can enhance the four-way purification performance of PM, NOx, CO, and HC emitted by automobile exhausts over woody perovskite-type catalysts. Dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) can generate the NTP under atmospheric pressure conditions, indicating the broad application prospects in environmental protection and material processing. This study aims to enhance the performance of NTP synergistic woody perovskite-type catalysts, in order to purify the diesel engine exhaust. Firstly, a DBD reactor was designed, of which the corundum tubes and woody perovskite-type catalysts were used as the discharge medium. A two-dimensional simulation model was established for the DBD reactor. The plasma module of COMSOL software was employed to calculate the number density of active species under different parameter conditions of the reactor. After that, the optimal internal parameters of the reactor were obtained. Secondly, the overall mechanical structure of the non-thermal plasmawoody perovskite purifier was designed for the diesel engine exhaust. A numerical model was established to analyze the impact of different DBD arrangements on exhaust back pressure using pressure loss. Lastly, a test bench of the diesel engine was set to verify the purification performance of the purifier. According to the relevant regulations of automotive testing, the D2 (5 loads operating at rated speed) test cycle was selected from the ISO 8187 international standard, in order to test and verify the purifier. The model calculation indicated that when the input voltage of the exhaust purifier was 15 kV, the filling rate was 30%, the number density of active particles in the reactor reached the maximum, with an electron density of 1016/m3, the electron energy distribution in the reactor ranged from 101.1 to 101.5 eV, and the number densities of N2+, -CO, and -N2 reached 1018/m3, the number densities of -O reached 1013/m3, respectively. Once the number of DBD parallel connections was 20, and the DBD reactor length was 0.16 m, the exhaust back pressure of the purifier was 996.3 Pa. The experimental results showed that the exhaust back pressure of the purifier fully met the national standard requirements, in order to achieve the simultaneous purification of PM, NOx, CO, and HC. Furthermore, the purification efficiencies of the purifier reached 92%, 64%, 72%, and 61%, respectively, when the engine speed was 2 600r/min and the load was 50%. Once the purifier was used for no more than 75 h, the exhaust back pressure of the purifier was less than 3 kPa. Correlation analysis of experimental data revealed that the PM, CO and HC were promoted to reduce NOx, thus leading to the oxidation of PM, CO, and HC. The finding can provide the theoretical reference for synergistic catalysis in the field of automotive exhaust purification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract\nHIGHLIGHTSWe argue that research aiming to understand or change human behavior must measure real behavior, not just behavioral intentions, to draw valid conclusions. The work highlights the well-established gap between people’s intentions and behavior across various tourism and hospitality contexts. Methodologically, we encourage authors not to rely on behavioral intentions and instead measure real behavior. We provide an overview of methods available to capture real behavior either automatically or manually in tourism contexts. The article also introduces a special issue in the Journal of Sustainable Tourism that showcases the measurement of real environmentally significant tourist behavior using diverse methods, such as biometric techniques, big data analytics, field observations, and experiments. We conclude by discussing five issues that prevent studies form drawing causal conclusions about behavior, namely, (i) reliance on behavioral intentions; (ii) a sample that does not reflect the population of interest; (iii) errors in measuring latent psychological constructs; (iv) consumer hypocrisy and social desirability bias; and (v) situational factors and habits. By advocating for a transition towards measuring real behavior, the article and the special issue aim to increase the validity and impact of research seeking to understand human behavior and drive effective behavior change for addressing global challenges.Much tourism research aims to understand or change behavior.Yet, behavior is not routinely measured, limiting the validity of findings.This article discusses the many possible approaches to capturing real behavior.This article outlines the most valid research design to study behavior (change).This article introduces the special issue on measuring real behavior.Much tourism research aims to understand or change behavior.Yet, behavior is not routinely measured, limiting the validity of findings.This article discusses the many possible approaches to capturing real behavior.This article outlines the most valid research design to study behavior (change).This article introduces the special issue on measuring real behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Existing research literature in computing and IT education shows that there has been limited work on investigating how offense based learning approaches using hacks can enhance learning of mobile security topics. In an effort to fill this research gap, we performed an experimental study with a unique, nifty user hack driven offense based learning strategy to effect mobile security awareness and interest in cybersecurity at the high school and middle school levels, as described in this work. A highlight of our novel study is our original CovertEyeOp mobile app, which was designed and developed strategically to be the driving force towards implementing our hacking based offense driven leaning technique. In this research, we carried out a comparative analysis of our app based offense driven learning approach with other relevant works on mobile security education. To conduct experiments with our user hack driven offense based learning strategy, we created a hands on experiential learning activity using our CovertEyeOp app, which educates users about security and privacy issues in mobile devices by hacking them and enabling them to self-discover issues with user permissions given to mobile apps. We offered this unique mobile app based learning activity to 90 participants (both students and teachers) primarily from the high school community across different states over multiple years and have collected quantitative plus qualitive data in the form of survey responses from these various users. Additionally, we discuss our earlier experiments of hosting an older version of our mobile app based lesson with 100 middle school students. We analyze this gathered learner data from the overall 190 participants' survey responses to determine whether our app driven offense based learning approach works and makes a difference in terms of fostering K-12 learning and engagement through acquired evidence of increased mobile security awareness and interest in cybersecurity. Overall, our study results in unique findings that show the prospects, benefits, and efficacy of including a user hack driven offense based learning strategy in K-12 teaching of mobile security topics. In the process, it advocates for the usage of this unique, non-traditional learning approach in cybersecurity education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the past century, the scientific conception of the protein has evolved significantly. This paper focuses on the most recent stage of this evolution, namely, the origin of the dynamic view of proteins and the challenge it posed to the static view of classical molecular biology. Philosophers and scientists have offered two hypotheses to explain the origin of the dynamic view and its slow reception by structural biologists. Some have argued that the shift from the static to the dynamic view was a Kuhnian revolution, driven by the accumulation of dynamic anomalies, while others have argued that the shift was caused by new empirical findings made possible by technological advances. I analyze this scientific episode and ultimately reject both of these empiricist accounts. I argue that focusing primarily on technological advances and empirical discoveries overlooks the important role of theory in driving this scientific change. I show how the application of general thermodynamic principles to proteins gave rise to the dynamic view, and a commitment to these principles then led early adopters to seek out the empirical examples of protein dynamics, which would eventually convince their peers. My analysis of this historical case shows that empiricist accounts of modern scientific progress—at least those that aim to explain developments in the molecular life sciences—need to be tempered in order to capture the interplay between theory and experiment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adaptive survey design refers to using targeted procedures to recruit different sampled cases. This technique strives to reduce bias and variance of survey estimates by trying to recruit a larger and more balanced set of respondents. However, it is not well understood how adaptive design can improve data and survey estimates beyond the well-established post-survey adjustment. This paper reports the results of an experiment that evaluated the additional effect of adaptive design to post-survey adjustments. The experiment was conducted in the Detroit Metro Area Communities Study in 2021. We evaluated the adaptive design in five outcomes: 1) response rates, 2) demographic composition of respondents, 3) bias and variance of key survey estimates, 4) changes in significant results of regression models, and 5) costs. The most significant benefit of the adaptive design was its ability to generate more efficient survey estimates with smaller variances and smaller design effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pineapple is one of the four major tropical fruits with important profits. China has been the fifth-largest producer of pineapple in the world, particularly with a large number of planting areas. Manual harvesting cannot fully meet the large-scale production of pineapples at present. Mechanical harvesting can be expected to improve the efficiency of pineapple production with labor cost savings. It is of great significance to develop mechanized equipment for pineapple production. Among them, the lever-feeding pineapple harvester has been developed for the batch harvesting of pineapples. Compared with robotic picking, it is no necessary to adjust the working parameters during harvesting plants with different heights. Therefore, the harvest speed is much higher than that of the manual and robot. However, the low success rate has been confined to collecting and conveying the harvested pineapple fruit. Many pineapple fruits are prone to damage during transport. In this study, a double-row alternating toothed sieve was designed for pineapple collecting and conveying. The device served as the intermediate or transitional conveying mechanism between the fruit receiving plate and the baffle conveyor chain. The motion equation was then established for the tip of each of the tooth-shaped sieve plates in the double-row alternating tooth-shaped sieve. A systematic analysis was made on the motion trajectory of each tooth tip in the conveying mechanism. The structural parameters of the conveying mechanism were determined, such as the length and angle of the rods, and the spacing distance between the toothed sieve plates. After that, the mechanics model was established to express the contact between pineapple fruit and the tooth-shaped sieve plates. The pineapple fruit damage-free and bounce-free boundary conditions of the conveying speeds were obtained for the conveying mechanism using the mechanic model. Furthermore, the key influencing factors were determined as the experimental parameters, including the inclination angle of the receiving plate, the rotational speed of the picking device, and the rotational speed of the conveying mechanism. A three-factor three-level frame experiment was conducted using the BoxBehnken, with the success rate of pineapple fruit conveying and the number of retained fruits as the evaluation indicators. The combination of optimal parameters was then obtained using the regression model. The field test also showed that the average fruit conveying success rate was 94.87%, and the average number of retained fruits was 2 when the inclination angle of the receiving plate was 14°, the rotational speed of the picking device was 27 r/min. and the rotational speed of the conveying device was 70 r/min. Besides, there was no damaged fruit during conveying. The device can fully meet the needs of pineapple fruit conveying. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present paper addresses the notion of multimodal constructions. It argues that Tell me about it is a multimodal construction that consists of a fixed spoken and a variable, but largely obligatory multimodality slot on the formal side of the construction. To substantiate this claim, the paper reports on an experiment that shows that, first, hearers experience difficulties in interpreting Tell me about it when it is neither sequentially nor multimodally marked as either requesting or stance-related and, second, hearers considerably rely on multimodal features when a sequential context is missing. In addition, the experiment also shows that the more features are used, the better hearers get at guessing the meaning of Tell me about it. These results suggest that, independent of the question of whether the multimodal features associated with requesting or stance-related Tell me about it are non-spoken, unimodal constructions themselves (like a raised eyebrows construction), a schematic multimodality slot might be part of the constructions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Is exposure to false information necessary for misbelief? In this article, we consider the possibility that certain individuals hold misinformed beliefs without encountering misinformation, thus questioning for whom exposure to "fake news" is most deleterious. Using a pre-registered experiment on a diverse sample of 1079 US respondents, we find that the young, those with low information literacy, and those with high trust in government tend to hold mistaken beliefs, even without exposure to misinformation. Because these groups are already misinformed, eventual exposure to fake news does little to influence their misperceptions. Instead, misinformation exposure affects the elderly, those with high information literacy, and those with low trust in mainstream media the most. These results suggest that research focused on correcting misperceptions should avoid studying how certain characteristics correlate with misbelief only in misinformation's presence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent scholarship has suggested the presence of website-delineated social identities within social media platforms, couched within the social identity model of deindividuation effects, and evidenced by distinct commenting patterns between networks. This study experimentally evaluated the possibility that Imgur users self-categorize and identify with an Imgur social identity, testing this hypothesis through the lens of in-group argumentation and attitudinal conformity. Specifically, this study presented persuasive messages to individuals reporting varying levels of Imgur identification and measured resulting attitudes, manipulating message context and the presence of message-reinforcing user comments. Findings support the proposition that users identify with the Imgur community, as high-identifiers exhibited greater message processing and normative attitude change when exposed to a persuasive message from an in-group source (i.e. another Imgur user) than low identifiers. These results further our understanding of contemporary social media use, contributing to a growing body of literature exploring online social identification and persuasive message processing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To research the vibration problem caused by bearing assembly errors in machine tool spindles, a special test rig for rolling bearing misalignment is designed and built. The dynamic model of the spindle-bearing-pedestal system of the test rig is established, and the characterization method for bearing parallel and angular misalignments is given through the Hertz contact theory. The effect rule of the misalignment level on spindle vibration response is studied by simulation and experiment, and the system dynamic model and bearing misalignment model are verified. On this basis, the vibration characteristics of the spindle system under the joint effect of raceway misalignment and waviness are further analyzed. The numerical and experimental results show that when the bearing is in the misalignment state, the excitation of bearing variable compliance increases. The assembly errors of the bearing raceway lead to the deviation of the centroid motion trajectory of the spindle tool end, which seriously affects the machining accuracy of the machine tool. In the case of severe angular misalignment, the system shows chaotic motion, indicating that the instability of the system is enhanced. The impact of angular misalignment on system vibration is greater than parallel misalignment, so bearing ring tilt should be avoided as far as possible in practice. In addition, it is also found that the variation of excitation amplitude of bearing waviness caused by raceway tilt is related to the relationship between the number of waviness and ball number. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Experiments on titanium partitioning between zircon and silicate melt were conducted at temperatures 1300 and 1400°С at 1 atm total pressure. Additionally, the Ti content in zircons of a few experimental series from (Borisov and Aranovich, 2019) was measured and a critical analysis of experimental literature was carried out. It was demonstrated that at high temperatures (1200–1450°С) DTi values lie in the range from 0.02 to 0.04 regardless of pressure, melt composition, and water content. Based on obtained data, the impossibility of zircon crystallization from high temperature basic melts once more was shown. It was shown that "Ti in zircon" geothermometer cannot describe Ti content in our experimental zircons and, possibly, cannot be applied to dry high-titanium melts at 1 atm total pressure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The use of policies in medical treatment reimbursement decisions, in which only future patients are affected, prompts a moral dilemma: is there an ethical difference between withdrawing and withholding treatment? Design: Through a preregistered behavioral experiment involving 1,067 participants, we tested variations in public attitudes concerning withdrawing and withholding treatments at both the bedside and policy levels. Results: In line with our first hypothesis, participants were more supportive of rationing decisions presented as withholding treatments compared with withdrawing treatments. Contrary to our second prestated hypothesis, participants were more supportive of decisions to withdraw treatment made at the bedside level compared with similar decisions made at the policy level. Implications: Our findings provide behavioral insights that help explain the common use of policies affecting only future patients in medical reimbursement decisions, despite normative concerns of such policies. In addition, our results may have implications for communication strategies when making decisions regarding treatment reimbursement. Highlights: We explore public' attitudes toward withdrawing and withholding treatments and how the decision level (bedside or policy level) matters. People were more supportive of withholding medical treatment than of withdrawing equivalent treatment. People were more supportive of treatment withdrawal made at the bedside than at the policy level. Our findings help clarify why common-use policies, which impact only future patients in medical reimbursement decision, are implemented despite the normative concerns associted with thesepolicies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of the paper is to investigate the internal flow characteristics inside the inducer under the gas-water condition using a combination of experiment and numerical simulations. Gas-water mixing is achieved by an annular gas mixing device and visualized by high-speed imaging technology. Meanwhile, the shear stress transport (SST) k - ω model coupled with the VOF model is applied to investigate the gas phase distribution. Numerically simulated inducer energy characteristics and internal gas-phase distribution are in good agreement with experimental data. The results show that the mixed gas-liquid flow inside the inducer exhibits three flow patterns: wavy flow, bubbly flow, and plug flow. For the wavy flow, a series of wavy structures on the blade surface and gas-pocket bubbles near the blade rim are observed. From wavy flow to bubbly flow, uniform bubble streams on the blade surface and spiraling strip bubbles near the edge of the blade are observed. For plug flow, bubble accumulation results in a bullet-shaped plug, and the strip-shaped bubbles near the blade rim are more obvious. In the same axial position of the inducer, the proportion of gas phase is increasing as the flow coefficient increases, thus affecting the inducer performance. The main frequency amplitude of the pressure pulsations gradually rise when the flow pattern changes from wavy to plug flow. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an investigation of the local buckling of curved special-shaped pylons, which are becoming increasingly common in bridge construction. Three kinds of steel plate specimens with different radii of curvature were selected to study the local buckling of curved special-shaped pylons. Both model tests and finite element analyses were conducted. Modal solutions for elastic buckling analysis of the steel plate specimens were obtained using finite element method (FEM). The relationships between load and deformation, and load and strain were determined through testing. The results showed that the sequence of elastic buckling modes from the FEM was consistent with theoretical solutions, and the trends from the test and FEM were generally consistent. It was observed that an increase in curvature led to a decrease in bearing capacity, and the thickness-to-width ratio (t/b) was found to have a greater effect on the reduction factor than the radius-to-width ratio (R/b). Therefore, the thickness of the curved plate was determined to be critical for ultimate strength. The findings from this study offer insights into the behavior of curved special-shaped pylons under load, and provide a basis for their design and construction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We conduct a large-scale natural field experiment with a Fortune 500 company to test several light-touch approaches to attract minorities to high-profile positions. A total of 5,000 prospective applicants were randomized into treatments that vary a small portion of recruiting materials. We find that self-selection at two early-career stages exhibits a substantial race gap. We then show that this gap can be strongly influenced by several treatments, with some closing the race gap and increasing application rates of minorities by 40% and others being particularly effective for minority women. These effects are not accompanied by any declines in application rates of majority group job seekers. In addition, we do not find that endorsing the "business case" for diversity reduces the race gap or raises application rates by minorities or women. The heterogeneities we find by gender, race, and career stage shed light on the underlying drivers of self-selection barriers among minorities. This paper was accepted by Yan Chen, behavioral economics and decision analysis. Funding: The authors thank the Brigham Young University College of Family, Home, and Social Science for generous research support. This research was funded in part by the Lowe Institute of Political Economy at Claremont McKenna College as well as the Australian Research Council Future Fellowship grant Nr. 190100252. Christina Rott thanks the School of Business and Economics, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, for research support through the Hermine Weijland Fellowship. Supplemental Material: The data files and online appendices are available at https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2023.4909. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose a two-step guessing game to measure the depth of thinking. We apply this method to the P beauty contest game. Using our method, we find that 81% of subjects do not make choice following best response reasoning while the classical method would suggest only 12%. The result suggests that the classical method has the fundamental problem that it cannot distinguish if a submitted number is due to best response reasoning or not. It also suggests that traditional level k analysis falsely attributes some sophistication to random players, and that the degree of false attribution is large. Our procedure provides an alternative way to identify whether the individual has best response reasoning which is essential for any positive level of depth of thinking and differentiates between the depth of thinking and random choice, and hence provides a very different conclusion, which is suggestive of limitations of the classical method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Industrial stakeholders have complained that current blockchain systems are too expensive, particularly in temporary endeavours like construction projects. However, while researchers have examined blockchain system structure among inter-firm organizations in construction, little research has considered the data redundancy of these systems. This research, therefore, provides insight by modelling data redundancy in construction project blockchain systems. We conduct a series of laboratory experiments on a Hyperledger Fabric blockchain system, discovering that the data volume of a blockchain system grows proportionally with the size of the files to be uploaded, the number of peer nodes in the network, and the frequency of blockchain operations in construction, regardless of the block size or how the peers are dispersed in different construction organizations. Beyond identifying the factors that determine data redundancy of a blockchain system, this research provides a basis for researchers to explore the optimization of blockchain storage and the impacts of blockchain system data redundancy in construction projects. In practical terms, the proposed data redundancy model in this research provides a reference for users in construction who aim to build blockchain systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractThis study investigates the optimal use of covariates in reducing variance when analyzing experimental data. We show that finding the variance-minimizing strategy for making use of pre-treatment observables is equivalent to estimating the conditional expectation function of the outcome given all available pre-randomization observables. This is a pure prediction problem, which recent advances in machine learning (ML) are well-suited to tackling. Through a number of empirical examples, we show how ML-based regression adjustments can feasibly be implemented in practical settings. We compare our proposed estimator to other standard variance reduction techniques in the literature. Two important advantages of our ML-based regression adjustment estimator are that (i) they improve asymptotic efficiency relative to other alternatives and (ii) they can be implemented automatically, with relatively little tuning from the researcher, which limits the scope for data-snooping. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aerated subsurface drip irrigation (ASDI) can improve soil aeration, crop yield, water, and fertilizer use efficiency. In this study, a micronano-bubble generator was designed to stabilize the gas in water, according to the cyclonic shear fragmentation. A gas-liquid mixing flow was also introduced from the inlet runner tangent to the inner cavity. The ellipsoidal inner cavity was used to force the liquid into the cyclone and then spiral outward at the two ends of the spouting holes. As such, a shear effect was formed to crush the bubbles. A 4-factor and 3-level orthogonal test L9 (34) was designed to explore the effects of structural parameters on the generated bubbles and the performance of dissolved oxygen. The following specifications were: the major axis (40, 60, and 80 mm), the minor axis (30, 45, and 60 mm), the inlet diameters (8, 12, and 16 mm), and the spray holes diameter (2, 3, and 4 mm). High-speed photography, image processing, and nano-particle size analysis techniques were used to extract the features, such as the number, particle size, and uniformity of micro-nano-bubbles, in order to monitor the dissolved oxygen in water over time. The results show that the distribution of particle size was basically unchanged in the large bubbles from 60 to 250 μm with the operation of the device, while the average size of the small bubbles from 10 to 60 μm increased by 20% within 2 min of operation. Specifically, the large bubbles above 100 μm were basically dissipated, after the device was stopped for 1 min. Then the count of small bubbles below 60 μm in the water was reduced by about 70% after 3 min of stopping operation. The micro-nano-bubbles with diameters of less than 30 μm were finally suspended in the water. In addition, the performance of the device showed that the bubble generation during the operation depended the most significantly on the spray hole diameter and minor axis. The major axis shared the greatest effect on the average particle size and the uniformity of large bubbles above 60 μm in the water after operation, as well as on the number of small bubbles. The inlet diameter still reached a significant level, although there was the least effect on the number of microbubbles both during and after the operation. In addition, the nanoscale and microscale bubble generation behaved in the same way. Dissolved oxygen tests showed that the oxygen content in the water was divided into three stages: the oxygen enhancement during operation, the attenuation, and stabilization of dissolved oxygen. The inlet diameter dominated the increase and decay of dissolved oxygen. While the stabilized dissolved oxygen depended only significantly on the minor and major axes. The dissolved oxygen of the device was positively correlated with the bubble generation. The more the number of bubbles generated, the smaller and more uniform particle sizes were, and the better the performance of dissolved oxygen was. The dissolved oxygen was varied in water in the different stages, where the bubble indicators were generally consistent with the structural dimensions. Taking the high number of bubbles, small particle size, uniformity, and high dissolved oxygen as the objectives, the optimal combination of parameters was achieved in the 80 mm major axis, 45 mm minor axis, 12 mm inlet diameter, and 3 mm spray hole diameter. The finding can provide the equipment support to promote the application of ASDI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Real-world communication frequently requires language producers to address more than one comprehender at once, yet most psycholinguistic research focuses on one-onone communication. As the audience size grows, interlocutors face new challenges that do not arise in dyads. They must consider multiple perspectives and weigh multiple sources of feedback to build shared understanding. Here, we ask which properties of the group's interaction structure facilitate successful communication. We used a repeated reference game paradigm in which directors instructed between one and five matchers to choose specific targets out of a set of abstract figures. Across 313 games (N = 1,319 participants), we manipulated several key constraints on the group's interaction, including the amount of feedback that matchers could give to directors and the availability of peer interaction between matchers. Across groups of different sizes and interaction constraints, describers produced increasingly efficient utterances and matchers made increasingly accurate selections. Critically, however, we found that smaller groups and groups with less-constrained interaction structures ("thick channels") showed stronger convergence to group-specific conventions than large groups with constrained interaction structures ("thin channels"), which struggled with convention formation. Overall, these results shed light on the core structural factors that enable communication to thrive in larger groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The stereotype content model postulates that different groups evoke different emotions and reactions based on two dimensions: intention toward others (warmth) and competence. Methods: In this study, we used an experimental design and a qualitative approach to investigate how managerial strategies are selected and motivated when a subordinate makes a work task related error but belongs to a group that is stereotypical perceived differently in terms of warmth and competence (age groups with or without a medical condition). Thus 75 employees analyzed one of the five hypothetical cases and described the managerial strategy and motivation for usage. Results: Data revealed that managerial strategies incorporate more active harm elements for younger employees in contrast with vulnerable groups (older employees with unspecified medical conditions, younger or older employees with a medical condition), who benefit from more active facilitation strategies. The strategy usage motivation is also different in the case of younger employees, the control group and the vulnerable groups. Discussion: The study outcomes bring additional evidence to support the stereotype content model theory and the socioemotional selectivity theory, enriching applicability on organizational practice and human resources management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Social norm appeals are effective in promoting sustainable majority behavior but could backfire when the target behavior is only performed by a minority of people. However, emphasizing that an increasing number of people have started engaging in the behavior or that the majority approve the behavior might prevent such negative effects. However, only a few studies have investigated the combination of descriptive minority and injunctive majority social norm appeals, with inconsistent results. Some studies of minority behavior suggest that the characteristics of recipients might determine the inconsistent results regarding the impact of minority social norm appeals and that social norm appeals could have a greater impact on individuals with weaker environment related dispositions. Method: Two two-wave studies investigated how descriptive minority appeals, injunctive majority appeals, and their combination can be used to motivate sustainable minority behavior and what role environment related dispositions play in this context. In the first part, perceived social norms, environment related dispositions, behavioral intentions, and pre-attitudes were measured. Two weeks later, respondents participated in a 3 (descriptive social norm appeal: static vs. dynamic vs. absent) x 2 (injunctive majority social norm appeal: present vs. absent) between-subjects experiment and watched an explainer video on voluntary carbon offsets that included various social norm appeals. Results: In both studies, we found that social norm appeals influenced perceived social norms. However, persuasive effects were only observed in the first study, and an injunctive majority appeal increased persuasive outcomes, but there were no differences between the descriptive conditions and no differences in their impact depending on individuals' environment related dispositions in either study. Discussion: A single exposure may be insufficient to exert persuasive effects and the change in perceived social norms may first need to be internalized. In online explainer videos, the effects of social norm appeals could be amplified by algorithm-based suggestions and when social norm appeals draw attention to norm-conforming content. However, further research is required on the long-term effects and their possible amplification via social media. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, an experiment has been conducted where additive materials have been added to heavy crude oil to improve transportation. This is done on a pipeline length of 186 km. During the experiment, materials will be added to the inner pipeline to lubricate the heavy crude oil fiber and reduce the pressure drop. The additive materials, which are Drag-Reducing Agents (DRAs) (These are polymers that reduce the friction between the crude oil and the pipeline walls) are injected into heavy crude oil at different doses (two materials); the doses are 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12. A comparison between the cases before and after this additive has been obtained in the pipeline for velocity magnitude, vorticity magnitude, pressure drop, and wall shear stress. It can be observed that doses (8, 10, and 12) obtained a wide range of flow rates with fewer pressure drops than other dose points. The pressure at the city of Al-Faw has been found, and the maximum values are 1.482, 1.413, and 1.399 MPa for doses 12, 8, and 6, respectively. The simulation was done with COMSOL 5.4 Multiphasic software. Flow ranges increase as the dose increases. Shear stress increases with mass injection rate. Transporting heavy crude oil long distances is easier with additive materials. After the additive materials are added, crude oil will be transported for a long time without pressure drops, increasing the flow rate. The two turbines pump heavy crude oil through a 48 inches wide and 186 km long pipeline. These pipelines transfer heavy crude oil from the refinery to Al-Faw City. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Experimental study has been made of the ignition of a subcritical microwave discharge at pressures in the range 55–79 Torr with the initiation by pulsed laser radiation (58 mJ in a pulse). A rise of 36% in the critical pressure was obtained to form the discharge with the orientation of the laser beam along the vector of the microwave-field strength. Computer modeling has shown that upon the traversal of a focused laser beam, a highly conductive laser trail can be formed with a peak ionization degree as high as 10%, which, for a period of the order of 1 μs, locally enhances the electric microwave field up to supercritical values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Wearing protective helmets is an important prevention strategy to reduce work-related traumatic brain injuries. The existing standardized testing systems are used for quality control and do not provide a quantitative measure of the helmet performance. OBJECTIVE: To analyze the failure characterizations of Type I industrial helmets and develop a generalized approach to quantify the shock absorption performance of Type I industrial helmets based on the existing standardized setups. METHODS: A representative basic Type I construction helmet model was selected for the study. Top impact tests were performed on the helmets at different drop heights using two different impactor masses (3.6 and 5.0 kg). RESULTS: When the helmets were impacted with potential impact energies smaller than the critical potential impact energy values, there was a consistent relationship between the peak impact force and the potential impact energy. When the helmets were impacted under potential impact energies greater than the critical potential impact energy values, the peak impact forces increased steeply with increasing potential impact energy. CONCLUSION: A concept of safety margin for construction helmets based on potential impact energy was introduced to quantify the helmets' shock absorption performance. The proposed method will help helmet manufacturers improve their product quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Janzen–Connell (JC) effects, hypothesized to be partially driven by negative plant–soil feedbacks (PSFs), are considered to be a key mechanism that regulates tropical forest plant diversity and coexistence. However, intraspecific variation in JC effects may weaken this mechanism, with the strength of PSFs being a potentially key variable process. We conducted a manipulated experiment with seedlings from two populations of Pometia pinnata (Sapindaceae), a tropical tree species in southwest China. We aimed to measure the intraspecific difference in PSF magnitude caused by inoculating the soil from different P. pinnata source populations and growing seedlings under differing light intensity and water availability treatments, and at varying plant densities. We found negative PSFs for both populations with the inoculum soil originating from the same sites, but PSFs differed significantly with the inoculum soil from different sites. PSF strength responded differently to biotic and abiotic drivers; PSF strength was weaker in low moisture and high light treatments than in high moisture and low light treatments. Our study documents intraspecific variation in JC effects: specifically, P. pinnata have less defenses to their natively‐sourced soil, but are more defensive to the soil feedbacks from soil sourced from other populations. Our results imply that drought and light intensity tended to weaken JC effects, which may result in loss of species diversity with climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The thermal deformation of a flexible rotor system in a high-temperature environment causes changes in the inherent and vibration characteristics. A theoretical model of the flexible rotor was established based on the theory of thermal deformation, the assumed mode method, and the Lagrangian principle. The mode natural frequencies and shapes were explored in detail when the temperature of different nickel-based alloy rotor blades increased gradually (from 0 to 1200°C). The changes in the unstable speed points as the temperature gradually increased were studied based on the rotation speed–frequency diagram. In addition, experimental methods were performed. Mode and steady-state speed tests in a supported state were conducted. Mode experiments were completed on a five-blade rotor test rig with a thermal insulation device, and the acceleration frequency-domain signal showed that the natural frequency decreased with increasing temperature. Through steady-state speed experiments, it was found that the position of the unstable speed points moved forward, and the displacement amplitude increased after local heating. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined whether public opinion on drug addiction, perceived culpability/responsibility, and punishment were impacted by statements from medical associations that drug addiction is a disease and not a choice. We utilized an experimental information provision survey distributed via Qualtrics to heads of household in South Carolina with an associated email address. The randomized treatment variable had two conditions. The first condition presented participants with a statement from several noteworthy medical associations/institutions noting that drug addiction is a disease. The second condition provided no statement (control condition). Results from our sample of over 5000 indicated that a large majority of respondents felt that individuals who have been diagnosed with a drug addiction should be fully responsible for any crimes that they commit. The presentation of official statements that addiction was a disease did not produce meaningful differences from the control group. Additionally, a large majority of respondents did not agree that addiction should relieve a defendant from punishment for drug crimes, theft crimes, or violent crimes. Here again, the presentation of official statements that addiction was a disease did not produce meaningful differences from the control groups. Finally, our results indicated that a majority of respondents viewed addiction as both a choice and disease, and the presentation of official statements that addiction was a disease did not meaningfully alter any responses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Apple is easily damaged in the process of the mechanical harvesting, which reduces the fruit's quality. It is of great significance to study the damage principle of apple in the transport process of picking platform. In this study, the apple compression test was carried out. The compression and drop process of the fruit was analyzed by the finite element analysis (FEA). The experimental platform of apple harvesting was designed, the conveying process of apple was analyzed. The results of compression finite element analysis showed that when the compression force is greater than 15.0 N, both radial compression and axial compression will be damaged. The results of drop finite element analysis showed that when the drop direction is axial, the maximum contact stress of the peel and kernel decreases with the increase of drop angle, the maximum contact stress of the pulp increases first and then decreases. When the drop direction is radial, the maximum contact stress between pulp and kernel decreases with the increase of drop angle, the maximum contact stress of the peel first decreases and then increases. The simulation results of the harvesting platform transportation showed that the damage rate of apples is less than 10 % when the sub-conveyor belt speed is 0.02 m–0.04 m/s. This study can provide theoretical guidance for the design of the harvesting test platform and the reduction of the damage of apples during transportation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the laboratory analysis of geological data, a number of problems arise due to the insufficient accuracy of the results. For example, different laboratories may provide different end results for the same samples, which creates a problem. This can lead to unreliable results, which can ultimately reduce the quality of the assessment. Machine learning allows to speed up the processing of radar data, as well as avoid the above-mentioned «misunderstandings». The problem of conducting scientific research at specialized landfills for a comprehensive assessment of the possibilities of using computer technology in the interpretation of georadar profiles is urgent. This makes it possible to objectively evaluate the result of automatic interpretation of georadar data. The several machine-learning algorithms described in the article are designing to improve the analysis and interpretation of data by incorporating various methods for optimizing georadar data processing processes. These methods include regression, classification and clustering. By incorporating these methods of optimizing the processing of georadar data into several machine-learning algorithms, the software can provide a comprehensive analysis and interpretation of the data obtained. This allows for a better understanding of the relationships, patterns and trends in the data, which ultimately leads to more informed decision-making and improved understanding. To improve the understanding of the results, the following quantitative indicators were obtained: correlation coefficient - 0.7072, determination coefficient - 0.5001, all these indicators correspond to these models. The deviation from the regression line is on average 22.37 units. Based on the classification results, the soil was determined to be wet. Errors in the sets do not exceed 1 %. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Labour market discrimination against individuals with criminal records may be unfair, ineffective and counterproductive. This article describes a field experiment designed to indicate whether job applicants disclosing a criminal record in the British labour market have a lower probability of success than equivalent applicants not disclosing criminal records. The research also provides insights into the potential effects of introducing a Ban-The-Box (BTB) policy in the United Kingdom, which would prohibit questions on prior convictions in the first stages of the recruitment process. The results confirm the existence of criminal record discrimination and suggest that introducing a BTB policy would increase job prospects for White applicants with criminal records, but not for members of ethnic minorities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the extensive utilization of liquid nature gas (abbreviated as LNG) resources and a multitude of considerations, LNG storage tanks are gradually transitioning towards smaller footprints and heightened safety standards. Consequently, underground LNG storage tanks are being designed and constructed. However, underground LNG storage tanks release a considerable quantity of cold into the ground under both accidental and normal conditions. The influence of cold results in the ground freezing, which further compromises the safety of the structure. Existing research has neglected to consider the effects of this. This oversight could potentially lead to serious safety accidents. In this work, a complete set of experiments using a novel LNG underground storage tank fluid-solid-thermal coupled cryogenic leakage scale model were conducted for the first time to simulate the effect of the tank on the soil temperature field, stress field, and displacement field and to analyze the development of the three fields and the results of the effect. This research helps the related personnel to better design, construct, and evaluate the LNG underground storage tanks to avoid the catastrophic engineering risks associated with cryogenic leakage and helps to improve the design process of LNG underground storage tanks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Indirect evaporative coolers (IECs) use the latent heat of water evaporation to cool air. This system has the advantage of operating at low power without a compressor and does not increase the absolute humidity of the air. However, an IEC is difficult to use on its own because its cooling capacity is limited by the theoretical constraint of the wet-bulb temperature of the ambient air. Therefore, an air conditioning unit (ACU) was integrated with an IEC and experimentally evaluated in this study. The dry and wet channels of the IEC were integrated with an ACU evaporator and a condenser, unlike previous studies where IECs were integrated solely with either an evaporator or a condenser. This reduced the cooling load on the evaporator and helped the condenser to dissipate heat to improve the performance of the existing ACU. In addition, the IEC was equipped with baffles to improve its performance. To assess the extent of the performance improvement due to integration with the IEC, comparisons were also performed under the same experimental conditions with an ACU only. The results showed that under conditions with an indoor temperature of 32 °C, integrating the IEC with the ACU increased the average cooling capacity by 13.1% and decreased the average power consumption by 8.60% during the test period, compared to using only the ACU. Consequently, the average coefficient of performance (COP) increased by 19.5% compared to using only the ACU under the same conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report experimental findings on the role of charitable promises in settings with posted offers. We vary the enforceability of such promises within variants of ultimatum games where the proposer suggests a split between herself, the responder and a charitable donation. By reneging on initial pledges, dishonest proposers can change the final allocation to their advantage. Providing ex post information on actual donations while leaving the contract incomplete outperforms a complete contract where proposers cannot renege on their charitable promises. The ex post information allows proposers to improve their image by voluntarily giving more than pledged and thus proving that the charitable pledge was not used for strategic reasons. We identify proposer competition as another (surprising) mechanism that partly eliminates cheating among accepted offers, but it also favors offers without charitable pledge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In our information cascade experiments, we study social learning in decision-making situations in which decisions "not to do" are unobservable. Subjects, in sequence, choose whether to invest or not, without knowing their position. They observe a private signal and the number of investments made by their predecessors, but not how many predecessors have chosen not to invest. We find that down cascades, in which agents neglect the signal and do not invest, occur, in contrast with the equilibrium predictions. Up cascades, in which agents invest independently of the signal, occur, but less than in equilibrium. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Allee effect is a density‐dependent phenomenon in which individual fitness increases as population density increases at low population densities. Over the past few decades, a growing number of studies have identified Allee effects in populations using experimental approaches and statistical modeling techniques. These studies have investigated multiple Allee mechanisms (e.g. mate‐finding, predation, resource limitation), across a range of systems and taxa (e.g. plants, vertebrates, invertebrates). This meta‐analysis aims to synthesize studies that experimentally manipulated population density and measured either per capita population growth or fitness components, with the goal of determining whether the 'magnitude' of the Allee effect (defined here as the positive correlation between population density and population growth or fitness) varies with Allee mechanism across taxonomic groups. A total of 2305 studies were screened, and 62 of these studies met our meta‐analysis inclusion criteria. Within these 62 studies, 155 effect sizes encompassing nine different Allee mechanisms were identified across five broad taxa. When grouped by Allee mechanism and taxa, the magnitude of the Allee effect differed across mechanisms, whereas taxonomic group was less useful at explaining variation in the magnitude of Allee effects. Of the nine Allee mechanisms identified, interspecific competition was associated with the largest Allee effects, followed by fear, pollen limitation and mate limitation. These findings suggest that Allee effects may be more dependent on mechanism than taxa and may function similarly within different taxonomic groups. However, as the majority of experimental Allee effect studies included in this meta‐analysis focused on plants and invertebrates, more research is needed on Allee effects in other taxonomic groups to confirm this conclusion. This first quantitative synthesis of Allee effect research in ecology offers novel insight into how Allee mechanisms affect the manifestation of Allee effects in populations, providing important information for ecologists and conservationists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To prepare a base layer of thermal insulation for the surface of wind turbine blades, we utilized SiO2 aerogel material with a nanoporous structure as the thermal insulation layer of an inorganic composite photothermal de-icing coating. We further investigated the influence of raw material ratio and process on the thermal insulation layer's performance. By adjusting the process parameters, the microstructure and characteristics of the SiO2 aerogel thermal insulation coating were controlled. Microstructure scanning and EDS analysis were employed to assess the results. The results of the experiment suggest that, as opposed to brush coating, atomized spraying is a better technique for creating SiO2 aerogel thermal insulation coating. The coating possesses excellent mechanical stability and applicability, maintaining a coating wear rate within 5% after 20 wear cycles under a load of 1734 N/m2, and the coating achieves the highest class 0 surface adhesion to the substrate surface. The coating exhibits exceptional heat insulation performance, reaching a temperature of 32.7 °C after five spraying cycles, which is 20.0 ∼ 29.4 °C higher than the surface without producing a complete heat insulation layer. The SiO2 aerogel aqueous slurry has a viscosity of 31.3 ∼ 36.9 mPa∙s, which is capable of forming a uniform membrane surface when sprayed at a 60° angle at 0.95 MPa pressure. Consequently, this paper's design of photothermal thermal insulation offers strong anti-abrasion and excellent thermal insulation, presenting a new avenue for scientific investigation into coating photothermal de-icing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Methods Results Conclusions So What? In Australia, sports broadcasting is afforded special alcohol advertising rights during daytime hours, which raises public health concerns, including short‐term increases in alcohol consumption among the broad viewership of national sporting codes.We conducted a content analysis across a sample of nationally televised finals matches (N = 16) from the Australian Football League (AFL) and the National Rugby League (NRL) to determine the prevalence of alcohol advertising video clips during these broadcasts. We also conducted an online experiment exposing participants (N = 345) to a randomly selected alcohol advertisement and measured the immediate effects on self‐reported alcohol craving and drinking intentions.The prevalence of alcohol advertising video clips during AFL broadcasts was 3.9% and 1.8% for NRL. While, overall, alcohol advertisement video clip exposure did not impact craving or drinking intentions, a modest increase in craving was found for a subsample of risky drinking participants (N = 107) who also reported a preference for the specific alcoholic beverage being advertised.Video alcohol advertisements occurred less than 1 in 20 advertisements on average and exposure to alcohol advertising elicited a low, yet measurable, short‐term increase in alcohol inclinations, among vulnerable adult drinkers when a desirable alcoholic beverage advertisement is viewed.Given that alcohol advertisements are most likely to increase consumption among risky drinkers, health messaging during sports broadcasts needs to specifically target these individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accepted by: Aris Syntetos Exploring the effects of information uncertainty presents an extensive challenge to decision makers. This study presents a set of behavioural experiments that examine the impact of incomplete information on newsvendor decisions. Findings show that orders deviate from normative benchmarks when decision makers have incomplete information and this tendency is stronger when the demand distribution is not known. Comparison of decisions under incomplete information against behavioural benchmarks with full and no information reveal that the availability of price and cost information brings decisions significantly closer to normative levels when the underlying demand distribution is unknown. On the opposite spectrum, when demand information is available, not knowing price or cost does not lead to worse decisions. Analysing newsvendor profits under various information conditions, we find participants capture at most 84% of earnings they could have generated if they ordered the normative quantity in high-profit margin settings; the corresponding percentage is 51% in low-profit margin settings. Our results suggest decreasing uncertainty on the demand distribution has a consistently positive impact on profits, while uncertainty about cost or price does not have a significant effect. Implications of our findings on the differential impact of incomplete information are discussed via the backdrop of the prevalence of newsvendor framework across a wide range of operational decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the creep experiments of Nitrate Ester Plasticized Polyether (NEPE) propellant under eight different stress levels are carried out. The creep experimental data is discussed with different constitutive models, and it is found that the four parameters fluid constitutive model and the composite time-hardening constitutive model can be used to fit the experiment data better. The composite time-hardening constitutive model is more suitable to predict the long-term creep behavior based on the short-term creep behavior. The accuracy of the constitutive model is proved by comparing the predicted results with the experimental results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]